03 Dec 2019

Francistown Central police have advised performers to clear their temporary or informal structures that they use for video shooting.

This follows an incident in which a Francistown based rebranded local acapella group, Ultra-Chord of Melodies (UCM), failed to destroy three temporary graves that the group constructed when shooting its first music video.

The structures were discovered at the foot of Nyangabgwe Hill in an open space where a Kalanga based cultural group, Tjilenje Tje Ngwao, usually hold its annual Nyangabgwe Hill International Cultural and music festival.

The group had gone to clean the area in preparation for this years’ festival, which was moved to Gerald Cultural Village over the past weekend.

In an interview, Central Police Station commander, Superintendent Lebalang Maniki advised that performers must make sure that after shooting videos, makeshift structures such as shops, bars, tombstones and towers must be cleared off immediately.

Supt Maniki said in this case, the temporary graves, which were destroyed by the police and the group, could have caused panic if they were discovered by members of the public.

However, he said the police decided not to charge the group because the group’s actions did not constitute any offence, be it public nuisance or intention to cause public harm and panic.

He said from the police investigations, there was no intention to harm anybody, but only to shoot a video.

Supt Maniki said the group followed all the processes including requesting permission from the owner of the space to shoot for a music video.

In addition, he said the group did not attempt to bury anything in the graves and had no intention of causing harm or panic.

He said the only problem the group could be blamed for was failure to destroy the graves after shooting the video.

However, he said the group was advised to always inform the authority (council) whenever it had a project of this nature.

Supt Maniki further stated that Francistown City Council was also not aware of the intended video shooting.

The UCM Acapella president, Keorapetse Julius also confirmed to this publication that indeed the graves were constructed by her group as part of a video shooting of the song Boela Gae, which was expected to be released during the coming festive season.

She explained that they did not destroy the graves immediately after shooting because the idea was to come back if the first shooting was not well done, but unfortunately the group was caught off-guard.

She explained that the group sought permission from the owner of the place, one Ngwiswa Ntogwa. 

However, she regretted that the group did not tell Ntogwa that they would erect the said graves as part of the video shooting.

Julius said the graves had now been destroyed and she apologised to the affected parties.She however regretted that the group would have to use what they had to finish the video. 

The video, she narrated, was about a mother who died, leaving behind her children and husband.

The festival will, next year, move to its usual venue and would be better and bigger, Ntogwa promised. ENDS